![]() ![]() The only ones missing in the room were Israel and the United States, who remain attached to their insistence that the region is either not “ready” to discuss the zone or this initiative is simply anti-Israeli. To the surprise of naysayers, participation in the conference was robust-with the presence of all twenty-two-member states of the Arab League, Iran, four nuclear-armed states (China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom), relevant international institutions and a handful of civil society organisations. On 18 November the first conference was convened at the UN Headquarters in New York presided over by the Jordanian UN Ambassador Sima Bahouz with facilitation by the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). This includes failed attempts to convene a conference on the zone in 2012 and to reach consensus on a final declaration in the 2015 Review Conference-primarily because global disarmament and Middle East zone commitments from earlier review conferences were not acted on in good faith.Īgainst this bleak background, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution brought forward by Egypt in December 2018 to convene an annual conference until all parties can reach agreement (based on consensus decision-making procedures) on a treaty text to establish the WMDFZ. While the NPT states parties have made the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East a high priority in subsequent review conferences, to date there has been little tangible progress on the zone. In 1995, states parties to the nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) Treaty adopted a resolution on the Middle East that inextricably linked the NPT's indefinite extension with "utmost efforts" to establish "an effectively verifiable” WMDFZ and their delivery systems. Ciobanu, Nuclear Age Peace FoundationĪchieving the Possible: a WMD-free zone in the Middle Eastīy Sharon Dolev, Emad Kiyaei, and Dina Saadallah (METO)Ī historic conference took place in the United Nations from 18-22 November, one that has been in the making for decades and could be the start of an important process to strengthen peace, security, and disarmament in the Middle East through the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear and other WMD (henceforth, WMDFZ or simply, zone).Ĭalls for the Middle East to become a nuclear weapon free zone (NWFZ) go back to the 1970s. Side event report: "Achieving the Possible: a WMD-free zone in the Middle East" by Christian N.Achieving the Possible: a WMD-free zone in the Middle East by Sharon Dolev, Emad Kiyaei and Dina Saadallah (METO). ![]() Jordan will remain the president of the conference until the convening of the 2020 session, after which Kuwait will take over.īelow is an analysis written by the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), and civil society group a summary of statements delivered during the open portions of the conference and organized thematically and a side event summary. It further noted that future conference sessions shall be held for a duration of one week starting on the third Monday of November of each year, unless otherwise decided. The declaration reaffirms the intention to negotiate a legally-binding instrument. Overall, there was a collective sense of urgency and necessity toward establishing this zone and all those present appeared willing to participate and negotiate in an open and constructive environment, despite the closure of some sessions to non-governmental participants. Other observer states, intergovernmental organisations, and non-governmental organisations were present. Five nuclear-armed states were invited and four participated: China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom (UK). All of the Middle East states with the exception of Israel participated. It was comprised of opening statements and general debate followed by several closed sessions on organisational matters, a closed thematic debate, and finally the adoption of a declaration. This conference results directly from UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 73/546 which mandates the UN Secretary-General to convene this conference “no later than 2019” and to “convene it annually until a legally binding treaty creating such a zone is established.” The conference was presided over by Jordanian Ambassador Sima Bahous. The Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and all other Weapons of Mass Destruction was held on 18-22 November 2019 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Conference on nuclear- and WMD-free zone in the Middle East adopts political declaration
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